As of Friday, journalists and court officers can pick up a smartphone, computer, tablet or electronic device and let you in on what’s going on in Superior Court of Justice as it happens.

The province clarified the rules surrounding the use of social media and blogs in Superior Court in December, stating that unless a judge rules otherwise, journalists and court officers are free to digitally broadcast from Ontario courts.

The new policy takes effect Friday.

There are a few rules, of course. Phones have to be in either silent or vibrate mode and all relevant publicity bans have to be abided by. Taking pictures or video of proceedings is still prohibited.

Use has to be discreet. Phones can also be ordered off if they’re having an adverse effect on the recording equipment used in the courtroom.

And judges still have the final say. Judges can order phones off if he or she feels that digital broadcasts will have a negative effect on the administration of justice.

Before December’s ruling, using social media such as Twitter in courtrooms was a hit-or-miss endeavour.

It was allowed during the trial of Michael Rafferty, convicted of the sexual assault and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford, but only in an overflow courtroom where proceedings were broadcast through a closed-circuit television.

It was forbidden during the Shafia family’s “honour killing” trial in Kingston.

In Peterborough, the judge presiding over Stanley Tippett’s trial prohibited reporters from using any electronic devices in the courtroom.

That left journalists covering the trial, including The Examiner’s Galen Eagle, with a decision to make: Stay and take notes or step outside the courtroom to post online updates.

It was a challenge, Eagle said. Reporters had to be smart with their time, stepping out of the courtroom during slower portions of the trial.

Tippet was a high-profile case, he said, and a lot of people wanted updates.

But most trials aren’t like that.

As Eagle points out, most people don’t need a blow-by-blow account of an eight-hour trial.

It can also get a little tedious.

Trying to juggle a smartphone in one hand while taking notes with the other can be tricky. You also want to be sure you’re listening to the judge, the witnesses or lawyers and not missing anything relevant as you try to post updates online.

Lawyer Trevor Burgis said he has no plans to start posting updates from the courtroom. He doesn’t even bring a phone to court.

It didn’t make sense to have one, he said, because he always had to have his phone off in court.

Burgis said the ability to broadcast from courtrooms won’t change a whole lot.

It won’t change what’s said, the story behind a plea or a trial or how he does his job, he said.

Really, he said, the policy only changes things for journalists who save a few seconds by not walking out of courtrooms to post online.

He pointed out that the policy could lead to a few problems down the road.

The general public is still required to turn their phones off when stepping into Superior Court.

But the policy doesn’t define what or who an “accredited journalist” is. That could lead to some scrutiny over who’s qualified to tweet or blog from court and who isn’t, Burgis said.

sarah.deeth@sunmedia.ca

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Superior Court dockets in Peterborough can be hit or miss in terms of trials but if there is action Friday look for Sarah Deeth to be tweeting from @SarahDeeth. Fellow court reporter Galen Eagle uses @LegalGeagle.